Changeable illuminated sign.



PATENTED APR. 3, 1906.

G. J. G E. G. PBLSTRING.

GHANGBABLG ILLGMINATBD SIGN.

APPLIGATIDH 'ILBD 00T. 18, 1905.

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Y letters UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE J. PELSTRING AND HENRY G. PELSTRING, OF LATONIA, KENTUCKY.

CHANGEABLE lLLuNuNATED slGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 3, 190B.

Application led October 18, 1905. Serial No. 283,224.

"- signs of the kind which serve both Vliyif'day and at night, in which latter case they are illuminated. The letters are interchangeable, so that with given means and devicesat hand different reading-matter mayr be er ranged for. Color effects are added, which are also interchangeable.

The invention consistldhcrtaignfentirgsf of construction, as hereinafter described;

In the following specification, and articn' huhT pointed out in the claims at h'e end thereof, is found a full description of our invention, together with its manner of use, parts, and construction, which latter is also illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a front view of the entire'outit with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the same. Fi f. 3 is part of a vertical cross-section throu h t ie sign proper, shown at enlarged scale. lig. 4 in a similar View shows a modification. Fig. 5 in a perspective detail View shows manner of supporting the letters.

The sign consists, substantially, of transparent letters interchanveably heid behind a transparent surface Formed by a plate or sheet of suitable material and secured Within a suitable frame or case of which it forms the front. In daytime the letters may be seen through this transparent sheet in front c* the letters. At night, the space between the letters bein impervious to the passa e of light, they Willllieccrne visible as soon as ight is applied behind them. The letters are held beiind this trans arent sheet on suitable snpperts or on or hy an additional transparent sheet behind them, which may contain one or more colors, so that the letters will accent ingly arear at nio-ht in these colors. The

of suicient thickness, might also Qinggthe letter to the simply rest edewise against each other and be thus held etween the two transparent surfaces.

A preferable Way to assemble the various parts of the sign is as follows: In e frame A resided with a recess or rebbet a, is placed st a backing B, consisting of transparent material, like glass, and of a sine suclent to fill the frame and composed of a number of horizontagfarrangedV stri s which Acol-- leetively l the frame. T e letters C are placed upon this surface arranged and set to resentV theV desired Words` and sentences.

hey consist of blocks of sheet material, (ses Fig. Y5,) which may be paper,Y glass, sheet 1jnietei, &c. The letters proper are produced by being stenciled or out out of these blocks in ease the material is paper or sheet metal While in the case of glass 'they are produce'A i@ hyfelcsing the background er ssge snrround-v l assage of ht by aplication of iaint or ot erwise. T c spaces etween words and lines not filled by letters are closed by spacers D, rse-that no light may ass exce t such which passes through the etters. hess letter and the spacers are held on their supports in. their assembled order b a transparent retaining-front in shape of a s eet of glass E and preferably held b a frame e. The two frames are locked toget er in any suitable way, as by catches F. The sign proper is new complete, and as a whole it is inserted endwise into a closed case G, into which it is slid from the side and of which it forms the fronqso that when light in any suitable form, usuali electric, is applied the sign may be distinct? noticed at night. In da `tirne, the letters llieing colorless or of the eo or of hacking B, they may be readily seen behind the transparent front E. To render them better noticeable, the bod of the letters-that is, the surface of the lock which surrounds each letter-is painted black. To increase the contrast, surfaces within the letter itself, and where the saine is not entirely est out, but merely produced byperorations, es shown in Fig. 5,'may be painted White.

Front E may be clear glass; but by preference we use milkwhte or ground lass, which, While not interferin with the o servatios of the letters, hides t e edges between adjoining letter-blocks and spacers, so that the front of the sign has the appearance of en even unbroken surface.

The sign may be readily changed by simply removing it from the ease G and by separating the two frames, after which the readingmatter may be changed by rearranging the letters. Where the letters are of glass, the may, as before remarked, rest against eaci other edgewise, and thus retain their positions between the two surfaces B and E after they are brought together. A preferable way is to have them of paper or sheet metal and provided with a flange c, which is inserted between the edges of two adjoining strips b b, thus holding the letter in position. The materials mentioned permit also placing of the letters and spacers in a manner that they sli htly overlap at their edges to produce ligIit-proo joints, it being necesser to revent all possibilit r of passage of lig 1t ot erwise than through the letters, which would spoil the proper effect. The height of the letters and spacer-blocks should have a certain proportlonal relation to the width or height of strips b, so as to permit various changes or arrangements with given means. In the drawings three sizes of letters are shown, which may be arranged in any position within the frame and always find a support on strips b. These latter if of various colors may also be readily changed and always be in position to serve as supports for the letters. Instead of the strips of glass strips of metal II, presenting grooves for reception of flanges c, might be used7 as shown in Fig. 4, which strips are Secured in frame A.

Having described our invention, we claim as new- 1. In a sign, the combination of two frames, one fitted within the other to form a signframe complete, a case into which the two frames are removably fitted as a whole, transparent material in sheet form supported in each frame and blocks containing stenciled letters interchangeably sup orted between the transparent material of t 1e two frames.

2. In a sign, the Combination of a front of a material permitting passage of light, a frame provided with horizontally-arranged lettersupports behind the same and letter-blocks having stenciled letters interchan eably su porte on these supports and eing he d thereon by the front mentioned.

3. In a sign, the combination of a retainingfront of a material permittin passage of lig t, strips of glass supported lgiorizontally behind the same and arranged ed ewise one below the other and letter-bloc s havin stenciled letters interchangeably supporte on these strips.

4. In a s1 n, the combination of a frame provided wit horizontally-arranged lettersupports, letter-blocks having stenciled letters and provided with flanges whereb they are interchangeably sup orted on the ettersupports mentioned an a front in front of these letter-blocks to retain them in position on their supports,

5. In a sign, the combination of series of letter-blocks having stenciled letters, supports for these blocks and afront in front of these letter-blocks to hold them in position on their supports said front being of a material which permits assa e of light.

In testimony w ereo We hereunto affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE J. PELSTRING. HENRY G. PELSTRING. Witnesses:

C. SPENGEL, C. MEYER. 

